[Vision2020] Re: Life Imprisonment: A Superior Deterrent, right on baby

Sun May 7 21:13:54 PDT 2006

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?&did=1726#2005

The Bureau of Justice Statistics released its latest report on the status of the death penalty in the U.S., Capital Punishment, 2004, on November 13.  According to the report, the nation's death row population, executions, and the number of people given death sentences last year all declined. There were 3,315 people on state and federal death rows at the conclusion of 2004, 63 fewer than in 2003. Last year, 125 people were sentenced to death, the fewest since 1973. Twelve states executed 59 prisoners in 2004, six fewer than in 2003. Those executed had been under a sentence of death for an average of 11 years, which was one month longer than the period for inmates executed in 2003. Of those under a sentence of death in 2004, 56% were white, 42% were black, and 13% were Hispanic ("Hispanic" is counted as an ethnicity, rather than a race). (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Capital Punishment, 2004, November 13, 2005

These stats lead one to some serious speculation. If there were 3,315 people on death row, why weren't there 3,315 executions? We spend endless fortunes to try these parasites and condemn them to death. Then, in most cases, they just sit on death row until they die of natural causes. If they are the unlucky ones to be executed, they first spend on the average of 11 years in prison, living free from the taxes we all pay, working out, studying law, eating, sleeping, etc., (all things their victims can no longer do) before they receive justice.  Why are we pussyfooting around with these subhumans? They know we don't mean business. Not much of a crime deterrent if we don't carry out many executions, huh? Other stats reveal only 1004 people have actually been put to death in the US since 1976. If I were a murderer, I'd have no problems playing the odds. I'd be more apt to win the powerball jackpot than be executed. But, we all know that the ACLU, NLG, and other communist organizations will continue to obstruct justice at every given chance. 

If we tried, convicted, and swiftly executed people those people found guilty of murder, rape, treason, etc--without the games currently being played--only the crazy's would want to get executed; the rest would recognize the risks and perhaps be dissuaded from committing the crime. However, if we continue this lunatic pacifist approach, trends will continue, and resident vermin will be content to play the odds. It's kind of like an adult "spare the rod and spoil the child". Permissiveness is far too prevalent in society-from the top down, pervasive.

  --Ed

Lastly, a bit of wisdom from George Carlin, a man whom I don't particularly care for sometimes.he's right on this time, however.

I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents.

I  think cops have the right to pull you over if you're breaking the law, regardless of what color you are.

I think owning a gun doesn't make you a killer, it makes you a smart American.

I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything.

I've never owned a slave, or was a slave, I didn't wander forty years In the desert after getting chased out of Egypt. I haven't burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks and neither have you! So, shut up already.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ted Moffett 
  To: vision2020 at moscow.com ; Matt Decker ; ToeKneeTime at aol.com 
  Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2006 7:24 PM
  Subject: [Vision2020] Life Imprisonment: A Superior Deterrent?

  All:

  Regarding the arguments for the death penalty as a deterrent, which is a very questionable argument given the empirical evidence regarding the death penalty as it exists in the USA, what I wrote earlier on this subject, that I send again at the bottom here, might argue for life imprisonment as a superior deterrent to crime than the death penalty.  

  Life imprisonment under spartan conditions no doubt is viewed by some who commit horrendous crimes as a worse outcome than the death penalty  We have seen some on death row in the USA make efforts to block appeals of their case, requesting to have the death penalty carried out.  Indeed, given the extreme psychology involved sometimes in the minds of perpetrators of horrendous crimes, carrying out the death penalty in some cases boils down to state assisted suicide for someone who does not care about life, theirs or anyones. 

  However, I am not suggesting that instead of the death penalty, the state should "abuse" prisoners given a life sentence till they die of "natural causes" to establish a superior deterrent to crime than the death penalty, even if there was a superior deterrent effect if such a program were carried out.  This would be justifying the state committing human rights abuses, and indeed suggests another argument against the death penalty; that state sanctioned killing of its own citizens places within the mind of its citizens the notion that the deliberate and calculated killing of another human being who is confined and helpless is sometimes a morally justifiable act, giving moral support to those who wish to commit murder to carry out "justice" for whatever offence they believe someone committed that they think deserves death as a penalty... such as, perhaps, the Matthew Shepard or Dr. Slepian cases? 
  -----------
  "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

  Blaise Pascal
  -----------
  How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light. 
  Barry Lopez from "Arctic Dreams"

  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375727485/jjsbooksbuilding/002-0608912-6642455 

  -----------

  Well, OK, Winston (1984) was crushed as a human being by the
  > state to make a statement that the state has the power to destroy (as in
  > destroy the spirit, beliefs and love a human being followed) a human being 
  > who opposes said state, while they are alive, the point being this is worse > than having the state simply execute its opponents, because it is a
  > destruction of the very freedom seeking individualistic humanity in the soul > of a human being that constitutes the essence of the opposition of the
  > individual to the power of the state...

  Ted Moffett

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